Brothers of Retaliation
The Brothers of Retaliation is a Chaos Space Marine warband, led by Chaos Lord Laudren Thalarn, that was created after leaving the Planet of the Sorcerers a thousand standard years after the death of Horus. It was raised for the sole purpose of seeking revenge against the Imperium of Man for the cruel fate inflicted upon the Thousand Sons Legion and their homeworld of Prospero during the opening years of the galaxy-wide conflict known as the Horus Heresy. History During the time of the Great Crusade, Laudren Thalarn was a mighty Chaplain of the Thousand Sons Space Marine Legion. He was one of the few Astartes assigned to this new position, created by the edicts of the Council of Nikaea -- an Imperial conclave that was called on the world of Nikaea to determine whether the use of psychic powers represented a boon or a grave danger to Mankind and the newborn Imperium of Man. After the Emperor rendered His Decree Absolute in regards to the use of psykers, the Space Marine Legions were instructed to abolish their Librarius divisions. The Emperor had decreed that henceforth no Legion was to employ psykers in battle, nor were psykers in service to the Imperium to continue their studies into the mysteries of psychic talents. Laudren was hand-picked and assigned the responsibility of a Chaplain after Malcador the Sigillite issued the Order of Observance, more commonly known as the Chaplain Edict, to ensure the spiritual well-being of the Thousand Sons Legion and enforce the psyker ban. During the closing years of the Great Crusade, while meditating on the Thousand Sons' homeworld of Prospero, the Primarch Magnus the Red psychically foresaw that his brother, the Warmaster Horus, the Emperor's most trusted son, would be corrupted by the malign influence of the Ruinous Powers. His prescient vision showed him the future events of the Horus Heresy -- the betrayal of the Emperor by half the Space Marine Legions, and the sundering of the Imperium by a tumultuous and costly interstellar civil war. Gathering the Rehati, the XV Legion's inner coven of advisers that were comprised of the Crimson King's most trusted confidants, Laudren was one of the few who wanted to notify the Emperor about Magnus' suspicions of Horus. After an eloquent speech by Laudren to his Primarch and the highest ranking officers of the XV Legion, they decided to inform the Emperor by enacting a sorcerous ritual to convey the news of the impending civil war to the Emperor Himself on Terra, rather than using the far slower, but legal means of astrotelepathy. Using an astral projection spell, the spirit of Magnus the Red hurtled towards Terra through the Warp, bringing the dire news to his father. It was perhaps a little hard for Thalarn to understand the Emperor's response when he sent the Space Wolves Legion, who brought sword and flame, to destroy their homeworld. Reluctantly, Laudren fought against his former cousin Space Marine Legion in the defence of his home planet during the Fall of Prospero. The Imperial assault by the feral warriors of the VI Legion took the Thousand Sons completely by surprise. Though the Thousand Sons fought ferociously against the Space Wolves, they were no match for the sheer ferocity of the VI Legion's attack. With only a few thousand surviving Astartes left alive, the Thousand Sons were pushed back to the centre of their planet's capital of Tizca, the City of Light. Facing their inevitable destruction, the Crimson King finally joined the fight, and fought alongside his sons in a desperate, but ultimately futile last stand. This culminated in a confrontation between Magnus and his brother, Leman Russ, in a fight to the death. Mortally wounded, the Thousand Sons' Primarch pledged his soul to the service of the Chaos God of Change and Sorcery -- Tzeentch in return for his aid in saving the XV Legion. The response of Magnus' new patron was immediate. The City of Light was transported into the Eye of Terror to a Daemon World that had already been prepared for its new occupants. Following this confrontation with the Space Wolves, reluctantly, Laudren followed his Primarch into damnation, as Magnus eventually joined with the Warmaster Horus' cause, and the rest, as they say, is history. During his exile on Sortiarius, the so-called Planet of the Sorcerers, Laudren's bitterness grew immeasurably. His adored Primarch had changed into a foul mutation of Chaos. Many of his brothers were also hideously mutated by the energies of the Eye of Terror. Their once proud Legion had degenerated into a rabble of honourless scum who were forced to fight for their mere existence. Laudren would never forgive nor forget the betrayal and humiliation that had befallen the once noble Thousand Sons. About 1,000 standard years after Horus' death, Thalarn fled the Planet of the Sorcerers and hundreds of his loyal Battle-Brothers followed him. They conquered an ancient Crone World of the Eldar and built a huge fortress, the Black Cathedral. Laudren's followers began to recruit thousands of hopeful disciples and a few solar decades later a huge city had sprung up around the Black Cathedral. Laudren became a mighty Chaos Lord and renamed his followers the "Brothers of Retaliation." Throughout the millennia, Laudren has drawn many different forces to his banner. Two Daemon Princes are his confederates along with hundreds of Chaos Space Marines, thousands of Chaos Cultists, Renegades and daemons, all at his disposal as the Brotherhood of Retaliation's time of vengeance against the Corpse Emperor draws nigh. Notable Members *'Chaos Lord Laudren Thalarn' - Leader of the Brotherhood of Retaliation. *'High Sorcerer Lord Baal' - An Exalted Sorcerer who serves as Thalarn's lieutenant. *'Aedeb Ungoth' - A Daemon Prince of Chaos that serves as one of Thalarn's daemonic allies. *'Thorn' - A Daemon Prince of Chaos that serves as one of Thalarn's daemonic allies. Warband Appearance Warband Colours The Brothers of Retaliation warband's colours is not listed in current Imperial records. Warband Badge The Brothers of Retaliation warband's badge is not listed in current Imperial records. Source *''The Citadel Journal 33'', "The Brothers of Retaliation," by Lorens Karaca, pp. 95-96 Category:B Category:Chaos Category:Chaos Space Marine Legions Category:Chaos Space Marines Category:Thousand Sons